"A Black Day For Iraq"

(Via Kevin Drum and Juan Cole)

Future historians will have little problem identifying the key events in the slowly unfolding train wreck that is Iraq. One of the biggest will be yesterday's vote in the Iraqi parliament to allow the creation of autonomous regions, over the vehement protests of the Sunni Arab bloc, as well as the Shi'a Fadila Party and Muqtada al-Sadr's followers. It was only by promising the Sunnis that they would have a voice in this decision that the Iraqis were able for a goverment following the January elections. Rather predictably, the dissenting Sunni and Shi'a legislators walked out.

Combined with allegations that Bush family consigliere James Baker is recommending the Bush administration adopt a plan for a loosely-confederated Iraq, all the ingredients will be in place for an open-ended insurgency cum civil war.